Hubbard Named Vice President for Finance and Administration

Laura E. Hubbard, associate vice president for budget and
finance at the University of Oregon, has been named vice president
for finance and administration at UB.

The appointment, which followed a national search, was announced
Jan. 9, 2012 by President Satish K. Tripathi and takes effect Feb.
27.

Hubbard brings more than 20 years of experience in higher
education administration to her new position at UB. She has a track
record of success in areas from budget and strategic planning to
organizational restructuring.

Prior to joining the University of Oregon in 2005, she served as
director of capital planning and budget, assistant vice president
for administration, and interim vice president for finance and
administration at the University of Idaho. From 1990-99, she served
as finance and administrative officer, as well as director of
facilities administrative services, at Washington State
University.

“Laura Hubbard is a tremendously valuable addition to our
strong leadership team,” said Tripathi. “Not only is
she among the very best administrators in the finance area, but she
also is thoroughly grounded in the higher education realm and is
highly attuned to the particular priorities and challenges facing a
research-intensive university like UB.

“She brings remarkable acumen and expertise to this
important role, as well as skillful leadership, a thoughtful ear
and a collaborative approach—all qualities that promise to
energize and advance our university in its continued pursuit of
excellence.”

As vice president for finance and administration at UB—a
newly formulated position at the university—Hubbard’s
responsibilities will include oversight of strategic financial
planning and analysis of resource use and development. She will
oversee UB business services, internal audit, human resources,
employee relations and facilities units.

She will provide leadership for the institution’s ongoing
efforts to pursue innovative business solutions and develop
operating strategies that enhance revenues and efficiency, and lead
to more cost-effective administrative practices.

“The UB position is a natural extension of the many
experiences and accomplishments accrued over the course of my
career and it is an exciting opportunity to be an integral part of
reshaping UB’s future,” Hubbard said. “I have a
deep appreciation for the role of a research university like UB and
I am looking forward to working with my UB colleagues and the
Western New York community in achieving UB’s
goals.”

Dennis Black, vice president for university life and services,
and chair of the search committee that assisted in hiring Hubbard,
said the position attracted an exceptional pool of highly qualified
candidates. “Laura’s reputation for leadership,
high-quality work and integrity is very impressive,” Black
said. “We are very pleased she is joining the university and
will serve on our leadership team.”

At the University of Oregon, which like UB is a member of the
Association of American Universities (AAU), Hubbard was responsible
for the primary budget, business and financial operations. She
served as the university’s budget officer and advised the
vice president for finance and administration on all financial
matters.

Hubbard’s accomplishments in Oregon included implementing
a strategic plan for financial and business services, and
comprehensively reorganizing business functions and processes to
better support the university’s mission. She developed a
Financial Stewardship Institute (certificate program) and
Stewardship Academy for Academic Leadership to enhance
organizational capacity across the university in the areas of
financial and fiduciary management.

She also led an effort to enhance university relationships with
local vendors, particularly minority- and women-owned small
businesses.

In previous roles, Hubbard was able to find ways to diversify
university revenue streams and implement efficiencies. At the
University of Idaho, for example, she made energy-efficiency
investments that returned annual savings and paid for themselves in
one year. She rebid and restructured health insurance contracts,
generating both annual and one-time savings with no reduction in
benefits. She also directed successful grant proposals for several
capital initiatives, including the University of Idaho Research
Park and Center for Science and Technology.

Hubbard is a member of the Society for College and University
Planning, the National Association of College and University
Business Officers, and the Association of Higher Education
Facilities Officers.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and an MBA
from the University of Idaho.